Degen

The earliest pencils were quite simple and basic in design. Around 1564, a large graphite deposit was discovered in England, and people started using pieces of graphite to mark surfaces. Initially, these graphite pieces were wrapped in cloth or leather to make them easier to handle.

Later, instead of wrapping the graphite, people began placing it inside wooden casings to prevent it from breaking and to make it more convenient to use. These early pencils were made by encasing soft graphite in wood. At that time, it was mistakenly believed that the material inside the pencils was lead, which is why pencils are sometimes referred to as "lead pencils" today, although the core is actually made of graphite.